(October, 2001) - Doing a few chores around the house this month can save homeowners major expense in the spring, according to Rick Felton, President of Homeservice Club™ of Canada. * Check for blockage of attic louvres by wasp's nests and put sheet metal, wire screen or wood over any openings, including under the eaves, to prevent animals from nesting. * Remove and store your window air conditioner. Make sure to clean the coils and filters and cover loosely for the winter. If you are leaving the air conditioner in the window, put a weatherproof cover over it to protect it during the winter. * Clean your lawnmower and other garden tools before storing. Give all the metal parts of your tools a wipe with an oiled rag to prevent rusting. Drain the fuel from gas-powered machines and run the engine until the lines are clear. Drain the oil and replace it. Clean caked-on grass and debris. * Check doors and windows for proper caulking and weatherstripping. Do the draft test: hold a lit candle and run it along the seams of doors and windows. A flickering flame means your heating dollars are going out the window. Check the bottoms of doors for a snug threshold seal or door sweep. * Make sure your fireplace is in safe working order. Check that the damper opens and closes smoothly and fits properly to prevent heat loss. Check inside the fireplace to make sure no bricks are loose or broken. If your fireplace is smoking excessively, check the chimney for fallen bricks. Installing a chimney cap can cure a smoking fireplace by improving the draft. * Drain exterior water lines, hose bibs, sprinklers, and pool equipment before the first major freeze. Caulk around pipes where they enter the house. * Clean your barbecue and store it in a protected place for the winter. (Remember, never store propane tanks indoors.) * Clean patio furniture and store, loosely covered, in a dry place. * Wash windows to let in the maximum heat and light during cold winter days. * Have carpets cleaned to clean away the grime from summer traffic and improve indoor air quality during the winter months. Doing your fall chores can make your life easier come spring, when you would rather be fishing than fixing winter damage.

(November, 2001) - If you live in the average Ontario home, about 25 per cent of your heating bills goes out the window - or door, or attic, or chimney. Sealing those leaks now is the most cost-effective way to cut down on your heating bills this winter. "Every year we remind homeowners about the importance of caulking and weatherstripping," says Rick Felton, President of Homeservice Club™. "If you had a three foot square hole in an outside wall, you'd fix it promptly. Yet many homeowners ignore that quarter-inch crack under their front door, which will let in just as much cold air as that hole in the wall." With some simple weatherstripping and caulking, homeowners can dramatically reduce energy loss, Felton added. Hiring a professional with specialized testing equipment can result in even greater energy savings. Here are some more tips from Homeservice Club™ of Canada that will help homeowners save energy dollars this winter: * While windows and doors are the obvious culprits for air leakage, significant air loss can also occur in the attic, around ducts, through fireplace dampers, through mail slots, through cracks in exterior walls, around the openings where utilities and plumbing enter the house, and through the basement walls and floors. * Make sure your furnace is cleaned and operating efficiently. Replace or clean filters every month during the heating season. * Install a programmable thermostat, which allows you to program your heating system to your family's schedule and lifestyle. * Seal electrical outlets and switches with inexpensive insulating gaskets.

(October - December, 2001) - Your furnace may chug along year after year, but that doesn't mean it is operating efficiently - or safely, according to Rick Felton, President of Homeservice ClubT of Canada. "Older furnaces may pose a safety hazard by allowing deadly gases to escape into your home," Felton cautions. "At best they'll make you ill - at worst, they can prove fatal." Annual inspections are essential for older heating systems, Felton added. "Your heating contractor will spot potential hazards that the average do-it-yourselfer may miss," he said. These include deteriorating heat exchanger walls, corrosion, or sagging and rusting vent pipes. Here are some more tips from Homeservice Club™ to make sure your home heating system is safe: * Have heating systems checked annually for blockages and leaks. In older systems, the heat exchanger walls may be deteriorating due to age and corrosion. Sagging and rusting vent pipes are another potential hazard that your heating contractor will spot. * have frequent wood-burning fires. Homeowners with wood stoves should have the chimney cleaned monthly during the heating season. * Check the firebox to make sure there are no cracks or broken bricks. Every year check the ash pit in the basement. If the ashes are soggy, suspect leakage and have it repaired. * Avoid burning woods with high pitch contents, such as pine - they produce more soot and lead to creosote build-up, the main cause of devastating chimney fires. * Change filters in the furnace and humidifier every month. * Be energy efficient, but avoid sealing your home as tight as a drum. Allow for air circulation and open the windows for a few minutes on warm winter days. * If you think you smell gas, open the windows, get out of the house and call the gas company.

(October - November, 2001) - Expensive roof repairs are every homeowner's nightmare. Fall is the time to make sure your roof can handle the load this winter. Taking a few minutes to inspect your roof - or having a professional check it - is time well spent, according to Rick Felton, President of Homeservice Club™ of Canada. "By doing a little preventative maintenance now, you can prevent minor problems from escalating into a major headache in the spring," Felton said. "Minor repairs done now can prevent air and moisture penetration from attacking the structural integrity of your roof - and save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars." Cleaning the eavestroughs in the fall, for example, can prevent ice damming in the winter. Expensive roof damage occurs when moisture is forced up under the roof's shingles during the freeze and thaw cycles of the winter months. "Our roofing contractors are always busy in the spring, fixing damage and leaks that have occurred because of ice damming," Felton added. Here are some more tips from Homeservice ClubT that will make sure the roof over your head doesn't leak come spring: * · Clean eavestroughs after the last leaves have fallen. To make sure they are clear, run water from the garden hose through the troughs. If the eaves are doing their job, the water will drain down the downspouts and away from the home's foundation walls. The water test will also show if there are any leaks in the gutters. Remove rust and patch the gutters with roofing cement. Caulk leaking seams and make sure pop rivets are /secure. * · Check the roof for trouble signs such as broken or missing shingles, cracked, buckling or curling shingles, or bare spots where the granular coating has worn off. If you find deposits of granules in the eaves, it's probably time to think about having your roof replaced. Check flashing around vents, skylights and chimneys. Look for pieces that have peeled back and watch for cracked caulking that could allow moisture penetration. * · Have the chimney cleaned and check the exterior structure for worn flashing, loose bricks or crumbling mortar. Doing a little preventative maintenance in the fall will protect your roof - and your pocketbook.

Modern technology may be placing an enormous burden on your home's electrical system. If you have these warning signs, Homeservice Club™ experts say your system probably can't handle the load: * Lights flicker when an appliance is turned on. * Circuit breakers trip or fuses blow repeatedly for no reason. * Appliances are not operating at full power. * You use many extension cords * Major appliances, such as the fridge, freezer, room-size air conditioner, dishwasher, washer and dryer, and furnace, are not on their own circuits.

Be prepared for plumbing emergencies with these Homeservice Club™ tips: * · Know where the main water shut-off valve is located in your home (usually in the basement near the water meter). Make sure the valve stem opens and closes easily, by lubricating it with a bit of oil once or twice a year. * · If a leak occurs in your hot water heater, use the shut-off valve on the heater itself to maintain running water in the rest of the house. * · In the event of a prolonged power failure, open a faucet to let a trickle of water escape. Running water is less likely to freeze and result in burst pipes.

Keep your home safe and /secure with these tips from Homeservice Club™: * /secure sliding glass doors with anti-slide and anti-lift bars. * House numbers should be clearly visible from the street to allow quick response by emergency services. Consider illuminated numbers for added visibility. * Doors and windows should also be plainly visible from the street to discourage break-ins. Trim back foliage and shrubbery. * Install deadbolt locks on basement and garage doors as well as entrance doors. The deadbolt should be at least an inch long and the strike plate should be /secured into the door-framing stud. * Have a monitored security system installed for total peace of mind. Many insurance companies offer up to 15% discount on policies for homes equipped with alarm systems. * Alarm systems are now available to suit all budgets, some free with the small monthly cost of monitoring, usually about $25. * Check that exterior doors are properly hung, with the hinge pins located on the inside: otherwise the door can be simply lifted off its hinges with a screwdriver. * Consider installing a smoke detector in the garage, especially if it is attached to the house. Garages and garden sheds can provide a thief with the necessary tools to break in your home. Keep them locked and store ladders out of sight. * When you move to a new house, have the locks rekeyed or replaced immediately. * Make sure the exterior lighting on your home is a deterrent to would-be burglars. Illuminate dark corners of the yard with motion-sensing floodlights, replace burned-out bulbs on exterior light fixtures immediately, install inexpensive motion-sensing lights near entrances, garage doors, walkways and porches. Place landscape lights, porch lights, a few interior lights, and a radio on timers so it looks - and sounds- like somebody is home.

As Canadians spend an estimated 90% of their time indoors and about 65% of that time in their own homes, indoor air quality becomes a growing concern. So what is a homeowner to do? Here are some tips from Homeservice Club™: * Change filters in the furnace and humidifier every month. * If your family is experiencing symptoms such as headaches, drowsiness, allergies, nose and throat irritations, investigate installing a whole-house mechanical ventilation system. * Have an electronic air cleaner installed to trap minute airborne particles. * Have the carpeting in your home professionally cleaned at least once a year with a hot water extraction method that will reach deep into the fibres and extract contaminants. * When purchasing new carpet, look for the Canadian Carpet Institute's Indoor Air Quality label. After installation, ventilate the area well to reduce the effects of off-gassing. * When renovating older homes that may have lead-based paints, vacuum, rather than sweep, the renovation dust and follow with a damp-mop to remove remaining particles.

If you are planning a vacation, Homeservice Club™ suggests you take these precautions before you leave home: * Turn the thermostat down in the winter, up in the summer. * Unplug all electrical cords. * Arrange to have your mail picked up every day * Leave an itinerary, a phone number and a house key with a trusted neighbour so they can contact you if something goes wrong with your house. * Take such security precautions as putting one or two lights and a radio on an automatic timer, have deadbolts installed, bar sliding glass doors, and arrange for junk mail collection and snow-removal or grass cutting. * Defrost and unplug the fridge if you will be away for an extended period. * Some homeowners turn the heat right off and blow out the water pipes or add antifreeze to prevent water from freezing and cracking the pipes. Others take this precaution even when the furnace is left on, in case of extended power failures or a furnace malfunction. * Check your home insurance policy. Some have a clause that requires that the premises be checked every 48 hours in your absence for the policy to be valid.